"I personally don't hold any animosity" - Dean Elgar says South Africa have moved on from ball-tampering saga

South African Test captain Dean Elgar has iterated that they have moved on from the ball-tampering saga of 2018 ahead of the three-match Test series in Australia.

Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft copped lengthy bans from top-level cricket due to their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal during the third Test of the four-match rubber in South Africa in 2018.

The upcoming Test series will be the first between the two sides since that incident.

Speaking from Brisbane ahead of the first Test, Elgar denied holding any negativity towards the Australian players from that series.

He was quoted as saying by Perth Now:

"None at all. It was a very tough time for all of us even though we weren't the guys that got the brunt of everything, but we were part of that. I personally don't hold any animosity towards the players that were involved or Cricket Australia. They were unfortunate scenes but that period has long elapsed and we have moved forward as a group."

Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis claimed in his recent autobiography that Australia had tampered with the ball in the two Tests before the controversy in Cape Town. However, Australian players have repeatedly rejected the claims.

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"We love playing against Australia" - Dean Elgar

Dean Elgar. (Image Credits: Getty)

Although Elgar admitted that the events in Cape Town were disappointing, he said that the Proteas harbor a deep respect for Australian cricket. The 35-year-old added:

"The history between South Africa and Australia when it comes to Test cricket is so rich. The competitive nature is very similar. It was sad to see those events unfold but I am pretty sure on the field there is always a bit of spice. We love playing against Australia. We have a deep respect for Australian cricket."

The first Australia-South Africa Test will start on December 17 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

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